Usage depleted overnight. All updates set during free time.

[Lea]

We have had HughesNet for several years. Nothing has changed with our computer settings. Everything updates in the middle of the night during free time. Our wifi has a 24 character password! Our neighbors all have DSL. Our allowance is being used up overnight while no one is using it. Went to bed with 32% and have Zero this morning.

[CharlesMcCool]

Lea if after unplugging the lan cable to your modem for a couple of nights rules out the modem then we can start looking at your router and your devices until we can find the culprit.

[Lea]

Day 2 of unplugging the lan cable from the modem.  Went to be last night with 56%.  Plugged in the cable this morning and the meter said 100%.  

[CharlesMcCool]

Great that means that your data is refilling right. next let figure out whats causing the data usage, What brand and model router are you using and can you list all of the devices that you have connected to it either by wire or wireless

[Lea]

I have had the same router for at least 2 years.  NetGear WNR1000.  One laptop that is never left on  over night.  The status meter is downloaded on it and I am always aware of data usage. We have a desktop computer with all updates set overnight and it is left on most of the time.  We have never had a problem with the settings.  It has a status meter downloaded and we watch it carefully.  My husband has had an IPhone with no extra apps on it and has had it for 10 months with no problems. I have an Iphone.  If I use my  Wi-Fi, I turn it on and watch my data on my computer.  I do not leave my phone connected to Wi-Fi overnight.  There are not other devices that can connect to Wi-Fi in our home.

[Lea]

I also wanted to mentioned that I can't agree that my data is refilling right.  It did last night, but the night before the data gods blessed me with an extra 10%.  Not complaining about that, but when the data gods giveth that means they can also taketh away.  

[CharlesMcCool]

OK you got me there. your right last night it filled right. lol  you have a Netgear Router, have you updated the firmware on it lately, there is a know problem with netgear routers and I will see if I can find the link for you to read. also when checking for firmware updates for that router you need to do a google or Bing search for the latest firmware, there have been a few others on here that have used the genie utility to see if there was an update and it said there wasnt but in reality there was and the genie didnt see it. also could you check the time when you auto updates is set for. and change it to around 4am. with windows 8.1 I have mine set to 3am but it always does the updates ate 11am and I cant get it to update at the time its actually set for.

[Lea]

I will check into the firmware update for the router.  I have Windows 7 and my updates are set for 3:00 am.  My "free time" is 2:00 am til 7:00 am.  I have not seen a problem with my updates at the wrong time. We are up at 3:30 am (UGH) for my husband to get ready for work.  

[CharlesMcCool]

Great to hear about the windows7 but not the 3:30 am wake up. what antivirus are you using?

[Lea]

McAfee Security Center

[CharlesMcCool]

Ok let me do some research, There is a post somewhere but I cant find it that pertains to unidentified data usage from netgear routers so I will keep looking for it also. I will get back with you this afternoon.
 

[CharlesMcCool]

Also I need to know what version  NetGear WNR1000 you have? there are several different versions. lol

[CharlesMcCool]

I see that McAfee does Definition updates every day but I didnt find how large they are. I know with some antivirus programs those can be very large files. have you set yours to update during the free period?

[David C]

Just curious - if your neighbors all have DSL, why in the world would you choose Hughesnet?  Almost every HN customer is waiting for the day that anything else is available!

[CharlesMcCool]

David I dropped DSL for Hughes and Im getting far better service and speed then I ever did with DSL.

[Lea]

My line zig zags across the field.  You can't have more than 18000 feet to have DSL.  There is 21,0000 feet of line between my house and the switching station.  I haven't convinced the phone company to re-run my line yet.

[Lea]

We left the house today at 4:15 pm.  My meter said 86%.  No one at home....my meter at 9:00 pm  said Download Allowance Exceeded.  50% would have been 250 MB.  So, more than 350 MB disappeared today! 

[Lea]

The bottom of the router says N150 wireless router WNR1000. Haven't had a chance to check for firmware updates, but have never had a problem with this router.

[Lea]

Possibly WNR1000v3
That is whats listed when I check on my computer.

[CharlesMcCool]

Ok I will see what I can find, but there is a big post somewhere about netgear routers having unexplained data usage, just for fun go to the community home page and in the search bar type in Netgear router and look at all of the posted related to them. 

[BirdDog]

210K feet? Wow! That's 40 miles.

[David C]

HN is fine when it's working and I sure appreciate it over dial-up, but even 256k DSL has a data potential far in excess of anything HN offers. With no latency, the speed would seem better too. I guess it must depend on how bad your DSL provider is.